# Just how did I get to be tall?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-did-i-get-to-be-tall/2716>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 22, 1999, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-did-i-get-to-be-tall/2716 "1999-08-22T07:06:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 1999, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-did-i-get-to-be-tall/2716/1 "1999-08-22T07:06:00Z")

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I’m about 6’4"-6’5" and I have what I consider to be a disproportionately long torso.

My question is, compared to the average person, where is the difference in height coming from? I figure that my leg bones are longer, but are my verterbrae slightly larger than average? Are the discs between them longer?  
Do I have a longer skull?  
Is it just that I am a little bit bigger in several parts and it adds up?

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**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 1999, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-did-i-get-to-be-tall/2716/2 "1999-08-22T15:45:00Z")

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Bob spake:

“Is it just that I am a little bit bigger in several parts…?”  
We’re not too full of ourselves, are we?

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 1999, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-did-i-get-to-be-tall/2716/3 "1999-08-22T18:41:00Z")

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I’m just referring to the parts which can be measured in polite society. 😉

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**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 1999, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-did-i-get-to-be-tall/2716/4 "1999-08-22T19:02:00Z")

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Braggart. 🙂

your humble TubaDiva  
reminded of Mrs. Campbells’ statement about her husband: “He’s 6’4” . . . and everything to proportion."

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 1999, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-did-i-get-to-be-tall/2716/5 "1999-08-23T03:01:00Z")

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Since everyone here seems to be so concerned with my anatomy, I would like to state for the record that I have relatively short stubby fingers for someone my size.

I assume that’s what everyone was concerned about.

Size 12 shoe.